At any given time, there are hundreds of education bills in the state Legislature.
Bills cover a range of topics, such as achievement gaps, levies, funding, learning and employees.
At each Federal Way School Board meeting, legislative liaison Amye Bronson-Doherty reports on that week’s legislative actions.
On Tuesday, the school board unanimously decided the make a stand against House Bill 1776 and Senate Bill 5721, which would allow school districts to further enact higher levies.
“We already have folks in great need,” board member Ed Barney said. “We can’t burden our community.”
This bill was only shifting the state’s responsibility to fund basic education onto the local community, board members said.
“The board believes that these bills, which do not affect levy equalization in a manner that has a positive impact on fair funding of local school districts, are furthermore – and most importantly – a distraction from the real work of our legislators this session: To redefine and fully fund basic education in Washington state,” the board’s letter to the legislators stated.
The district already spends $28 million each year from its levy on what is deemed basic education, including special education; compensating for unequal funding; and transportation. The district has filed a lawsuit against the state over unequal funding.
“This is a distraction,” Bronson-Doherty said. “It’s shifting off topic.”
Earlier this year, the board signed a resolution backing Superintendent Tom Murphy’s statement that basic education is the first and paramount duty of the state and should therefore be properly funded — without any cuts despite the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit.
The board will continue to look at legislative items as they arise, focusing on key issues for the Federal Way School District.
“Things related to the major issues,” Bronson-Doherty said. “Redefining basic education and fully funding it.”
Bills under the microscope (from the Washington State Legislature)
HB 1657: Declares an intent to require that all appropriations for K-12 basic education, together with appropriations for other K-12 education programs, be enacted into law before the Legislature takes executive action on other omnibus appropriations legislation.
HB 1776-S (as of House second reading March 10): Revises school levy provisions. Recognizes that school districts request voter approval for two-year through four-year levies based on their projected levy capacities at the time that the levies are submitted to the voters. Declares an intent to permit school districts with voter-approved maintenance and operation levies to seek an additional approval from the voters, if subsequently enacted legislation would permit a higher levy.
HJR 4203: Proposes an amendment to the state Constitution to prioritize basic education appropriations process. The appropriations process determines the level of state commitment to its institutions of higher education.
SB 5721-S (digest of proposed first substitute): Revises school levy provisions. Recognizes that school districts request voter approval for two-year through four-year levies based on their projected levy capacities at the time that the levies are submitted to the voters. Declares an intent to permit school districts with voter-approved maintenance and operation levies to seek an additional approval from the voters, if subsequently enacted legislation would permit a higher levy. Delays the current sunset provision for the inclusion of the difference between funding that would be provided under Initiatives 728 and 732 and the amounts actually funded by the legislature.
HB 1383: Declares an intent to begin a six-year process, beginning with the 2009-10 school year, to equalize the salary allocations to school districts for state-funded staff. This is pursuant to state basic education appropriation sections of the biennial budget. By the 2014-15 school year, the salary allocation amounts received by school districts for certificated instructional staff, classified staff and certificated administrative staff shall be the same.
